Torn Between Packs (book 2) COMPLETED

Chapter 40 Sam

"Sweetheart, please. You need to shift back. You have been shot," Lawrence was saying. It was the first real thing I understood in the past few minutes.

Joseph was dead. My heart was breaking in two. We had this special bond since we first met. He was my pack like no other was. I was supposed to protect him and I failed.

"She's been shot!" A young female voice broke the silence. I really didn't care if I was shot. I would soon but right now I needed to be where I was. Beside Joseph.

I vaguely caught movement but I didn't care. I knew Lawrence was here. He wouldn't let anything happen to me. "She needs help! Dammit Grayson let me go! My...mom has been shot!" Mom? What the...shit Hunter knew I was her mom.

It was that voice. It was hearing her call me mom that had me lift my head and looking in the direction where the angel like voice came from. There, in the middle of a few men I saw Hunter struggle to get free. To come to me. It was her fight that gave me the strength to move. Slowly getting back on all fours I looked down at the cooling body beside me knowing there was nothing I could do for him. I would mourn his loss but right now I had to meet my daughter.

Taking that first step my front leg gave out. Looking for my mate, for Lawrence, I whined. Begging him to help me.

At my side immediately, Lawrence rubbed under my neck. "You really need to stop scaring me like this. Dammit Sam you got shot!" I wasn't sure if he was more mad or concerned. Don't get me wrong I knew this was scaring the living shit out of him but he was really pissed right now. When I whined again and tried to move away from him, he sighed. "We will talk about this later but now you have to shift back. I need to look at your arm and there is a very impatient girl who would like to meet you." The last part was said with a smile. Ha! He wasn't as mad as I thought.

Shifting back hurt. Oh my god did it ever hurt. My shoulder felt like someone was stabbing me with a hot poker and my chest ached. Two agonizing minutes later I was laying in Lawrence's lap panting, with his shirt covering the upper part of my body. His warm skin against mine helped me to focus and control some of the pain.

Jack was at our side. I think he was there as I started to shift back. "Sam, I am an old man but I really prefer not to die from a heart attack. Can you please refrain from getting hurt again for at least 20 years? Hell even just one year! I would be ecstatic and so would the rest of us." That was Jack for you. I didn't get hurt that often...ok maybe that was a tiny lie but it is not like I look to get hurt. "Ok I need to look at your shoulder. This will hurt," he assured me.

The damn man didn't give me time to brace myself. He touched my shoulder and I screamed, "FUCKSHITGODDAMMIT! JACK!"

I didn't look to see what he was doing but after the first initial fire that shot through my entire body it started to hum in a slow burn. It still hurt...a lot but I could breathe through it without sounding like a foul mouth trucker. I could also make out other voices before I heard a growing growl. It was that growl that shut the voices from the others up.

"You will take your hands off our mother or I will rip your arms off!" The voice was deep and nothing like the angel voice I heard before. If I didn't hear 'mother' I would have never known who it was.

Jack's hands stilled. Lawrence let out this own growl as his arms tightened around me. Slowly I turned my head to look towards where Hunter was standing. Nikko was standing in front of her but I still had a clear view. She was staring daggers at Jack. Her hands clenched in tight fists, her body tense and ready to pounce while her breathing increased. Both Jarek and Grayson where at her side. Their hands raised to grab her if she moved. To stop her from attacking us. More like Jack I think.

"Luna? Jack would never hurt her. He is her Alpha." I was about to huff about that but Nikko caught Hunter's attention so for once I kept my mouth shut. "Come on I need you to let Hunter to come back...for now." Who the hell was Luna? He was talking to Hunter.

Hunter growled at Nikko once before she closed her eyes. I could see she was concentrating on her breathing now. I started to understand. She was fighting for control. I understood all too well.

"Where is Dmitri?" If I wasn't out of it I would have caught who asked. Closing my eyes automatically I searched through my pack bonds for all the wolves and lions that were with us.

A sudden stab of guilt and fear raked my body. I should have checked to make sure we were all ok. A flash hit me first of all the bodies I saw littered all over the ground. Since I was a little stronger with the pride I felt all their bonds in place. I knew there were a couple men that were hurt but nothing they could not heal in a few hours. As soon as a let out the breath I was holding I could feel one of my pack who was hurt. Badly hurt.

Jumping up on my two feet I screamed, "DMITRI!" Before anyone could say anything I was off running towards the house. I could feel where he was. I could feel his heart slowing. No I could not lose him too. Not him!